In general, web or paper product delivery systems are used to transfer product from a cutting machine, and place the product in shingled streams. The shingled streams may then be transferred to a stacking machine or stacked by hand for insertion into shipping containers. These product delivery systems may accommodate a product with varying lengths, widths, and configurations. Typically, these delivery systems include one or more top belt arrangements, and one or more bottom belt arrangements with at least one slow down belt. Stop wheels are provided for slowing down the individual products so that the product speed matches the speed of the slow down belt. Typically, this is accomplished by setting the outer perimeter of the wheel to form a nip between the slow down belt and outer perimeter of the wheel.
Prior to entering the nip, the products are in a sequential configuration with some separation between the trailing and leading edges of consecutive products. Upon entering the nip and with the help of the transition wheels and adjacent belts, the products form a shingled configuration and are pressed downward against the first stage slow-down belt by the stop wheels as they ride over the newly shingled product stream.
These conventional stop wheels, however, are not easily adjustable during set up of the delivery system and rely on the weight of the wheel or weights positioned on the wheel to accomplish the desired stop wheel force. For certain product this force may need to be increased to reduce the bump-up of the stop wheel from the product traveling beneath it. This increased force against the belt tends to reduce the life of belt, which is a costly item.
These conventional stop wheels are also typically difficult to align axially relative to other stop wheels acting on the same product stream, which affects the quality and consistency of the shingled product stream. In addition, to clear paper jams the stop wheels must be hand rotated to an "up" position. It is difficult to laterally position and align the wheel with a product path when in the up position because the stop wheel is not in close proximity to the belt. All of these factors may also affect the operating speed of the delivery system.
It would be desirable to have a stop wheel assembly which would overcome the above problems and provide a cost effective stop wheel assembly to increase operating speed and overall performance of the delivery system.